This paper reports combined hydrophobicity and mechanical durability through the nanoscale engineering of surfaces in the form of nanorod-polymer composites. Specifically, the hydrophobicity derives from nanoscale features of mechanically hard ZnO nanorods and the mechanical durability derives from the composite structure of a hard ZnO nanorod core and soft polymer shell. Experimental characterization correlates the morphology of the nanoengineered surfaces with the combined hydrophobicity and mechanical durability, and reveals the responsible mechanisms. Such surfaces may find use in applications, such as boat hulls, that benefit from hydrophobicity and require mechanical durability.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep09260 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Geotechnical Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany.
The development of new urban areas necessitates building on increasingly scarce land, often overlaid on weak soil layers. Furthermore, climate change has exacerbated the extent of global arid lands, making it imperative to find sustainable soil stabilization and erosion mitigation methods. Thus, scientists have strived to find a plant-based biopolymer that favors several agricultural waste sources and provides high strength and durability for sustainable soil stabilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeveloping novel materials is an essential requirement in the engineering field. This study investigates the effects of incorporating wood dust particles on the mechanical and erosive wear properties of Luffa acutangula fiber (LAF)-reinforced phenol-formaldehyde composites, fabricated using the hand layup method with a constant 20% fiber content and varying wood dust particle contents of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. Using the Taguchi method, the study identifies the optimal combination for minimizing erosive wear - 20% wood dust content, 45 m/s impact velocity, 60° impingement angle, 600 μm erodent size, and 60 mm standoff distance-achieving a minimum erosion rate of 189.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Colloid Interface Sci
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, PR China; Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Intelligent Rehabilitation Device and Detection Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, PR China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Smart Sensing and Human-Robot Interaction, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, PR China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, 5340 Xiping Road, Beichen District, Tianjin 300401, PR China. Electronic address:
Transition-metal-loaded carbon-based electrocatalysts are promising alternatives to conventional precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in high-performance zinc-air batteries. However, efficiently doping transition-metal single atoms onto carbon-based frameworks is a significant challenge. Herein, an improved template-sacrificing method combining a two-step carbonization process is proposed to fabricate Cu/Co diatomic sites coanchored on a three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon-based framework.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMembranes (Basel)
December 2024
LIME Laboratory, CNRS, MADIREL (UMR 7246), Campus St Jérôme, Aix Marseille University, 13013 Marseille, France.
Anion Exchange Membranes (AEMs) are promising materials for electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers. However, the main drawback of AEMs is their low durability in alkaline operating conditions. A possible solution is the use of composite ionomers containing inorganic fillers stable in a basic environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMembranes (Basel)
December 2024
Shanghai Electronic Chemicals Innovation Institute, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
Forward osmosis (FO) technology, known for its minimal energy requirements, excellent resistance to fouling, and significant commercial potential, shows enormous promise in the development of sustainable technologies, especially with regard to seawater desalination and wastewater. In this study, we improved the performance of the FO membrane in terms of its mechanical strength and hydrophilic properties. Generally, the water flux () of polyisophenylbenzamide (PMIA) thin-film composite (TFC)-FO membranes is still inadequate for industrial applications.
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